Over time, bone may degenerate as a result of trauma, disease, and natural processes, such as aging. Bone degeneration can affect surrounding tissues and have significant negative impact on the lifestyle of an animal. For example, destabilization of a spine in a vertebrate, such as a human being, may result in alteration of the spacing between adjacent vertebrae. This can place pressure on nerves that pass between the vertebral bodies. In turn, this pressure can cause pain, discomfort, and, eventually, nerve damage.
One way to alleviate the pain and discomfort that occurs after the degeneration or destabilization of a portion of the spine is to implant a medical device into the space between two adjacent vertebrae. Implanted in this manner, the medical device supports the structure of the spine by maintaining a desired spacing and angular positioning between the adjacent vertebrae.
The art includes several examples of devices useful for modifying the angular positioning between two adjacent vertebrae. One such device, described in U.S. Pat. No. 8,062,375 to Glerum, et al., for EXPANDABLE FUSION DEVICE AND METHOD OF INSTALLATION THEREOF, includes an expandable fusion device having a first endplate and a second endplate. When the device is transitioned between a first configuration and a second configuration, each of the first and second endplates extends away from the longitudinal axis of the device and places force on a vertebra in order to modify the spacing between the vertebrae.
Despite this and other examples, a need exists for improved expandable spinal cages.